DESIGN BRIEF 2020-21 LOBITOS AND PIEDRITAS, PERU - Produced in Partnership by Engineers Without Borders South Africa, UK and USA - Engineers ...
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DESIGN BRIEF 2020-21
LOBITOS AND PIEDRITAS, PERU
Produced in Partnership by
Engineers Without Borders South Africa, UK and USA
In collaboration with EcoSwell
This initiative has been delivered in the UK and Ireland since 2011. It is based on a concept developed
originally by Engineers Without Borders Australia.
This document has been produced by Engineers Without Borders South Africa, UK and USA [August,
2020].
The content has been created in partnership with EcoSwell. To learn more or support the ongoing efforts
of EcoSwell please visit their site. Disclaimer: EcoSwell is a third-party organisation and Engineers Without
Borders is not responsible for ensuring content on this site.
This document is licensed under Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA 4.0. Should you wish to reuse it for
commercial purposes we recommend you consider making a donation towards the charities involved in its
production, in particular EcoSwell who has engaged the community that feature in this design brief. To find
out more:
• EcoSwell: www.ecoswell.org • Engineers Without Borders UK: www.ewb-uk.org
• Engineers Without Borders South Africa: • Engineers Without Borders USA: www.ewb-usa.org
www.ewbsa.org
Disclaimer: Across the world there are slight variations in English orthography (writing conventions), the two
most recognised variations being British and American spelling. For the purpose of providing consistency,
British English has been adopted throughout this document.
Please visit www.engineering-for-people.org
CONTENTS Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Lobitos & Piedritas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Geography & Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Local Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Lobitos Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Piedritas Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Industries & Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Challenge Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Built Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Sanitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Augusto Correa, Owner, Hotel Buenavista Lobitos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Darío Carreño, Transport Worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 EcoSwell, Sustainable Development NGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Gino Pérez, Owner, Lobitos Surf School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Henry Espinoza, Director, Waves for Development and Councilor, Lobitos District Municipality . . . . . 50 Jacky Eche, Former Employee, Lobitos District Municipality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Juan Eche, Vice President, Lobitos Artisanal Fisherman’s Guild Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Justo Blas, Master Builder and Member, Piedritas Tourism Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Leah Donatiello, Executive Director, High Tides International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Manuel Vásquez, Director, Santa Elena de Piedritas School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Marlyne Guerrero, Secretary and Treasurer, Piedritas Tourism Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Nicolás Landa, Co-Founder, Coast2Coast and Lobitos Cinema Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Quenni Carreño, Artisan and Administrator, EcoSwell House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Rafael Aramburú, Surfer and Touristic Entrepreneur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Teófilo Erazo, President, Piedritas Community Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Tullio Chapilliquén, Artisanal Fisher and Local Guide, Lobitos Ocean Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
ENGINEERING FOR PEOPLE
DESIGN CHALLENGE
WELCOME
Both on a global and local scale, we are facing
challenges that require urgent action. Engineering
plays a key role in everyday life and our response to
address current and future challenges. We have a
global responsibility to help vulnerable communities
adapt to changing conditions and to reduce
inequality. Participating in the Engineering for People
Design Challenge is the beginning of your journey to
prepare you to invest your skills and talent to benefit
all people and our planet.
You have an opportunity to join thousands of
university students from across the world taking part
in an Engineers Without Borders initiative. This year,
This design challenge is not about doing what you
students in South Africa, the UK, Ireland and the USA
are told or finding a ‘right’ answer to a pre-defined
are participating in the Engineering for People Design
problem. This is about ensuring you are designing
Challenge. Over 41,500 students have participated
for and with people to improve livelihoods. You will
since 2011 with a different design brief each year.
have the freedom to lead the direction of your project.
This is more than a theoretical exercise. In this There is plenty of guidance and resources available
document, the challenges described are real issues in (in addition to this document) to help you achieve this,
Lobitos and Piedritas, two neighboring communities including:
on the northern coast of Peru. The opportunities for
• An online portal (with videos, photographs,
improvement are identified by those people who live
discussion forum and lots more information)
there. They have offered their perspectives to help
available at www.engineering-for-people.org
form this design brief, enhance your educational
experience and to share challenges faced in day-to- • Other online information about local initiatives
day life. available at www.ecoswell.org
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 4
ABOUT
Within this design brief you’ll find information about
Lobitos and Piedritas on the northern coast of Peru,
each of our eight challenge areas as well as case
studies of the local people and businesses. Finally,
BUILT
WATER
there is some guidance on the design process to get ENVIRONMENT
you started. Find out more at www.engineering-for-
people.org.
The design brief is written so you may focus on one
challenge area e.g. Water or Digital, or have a solution
that addresses multiple. You are not trying to tackle
everything within all the challenge areas, you are in
charge of defining the problem that you aim to solve SANITATION ENERGY
and deciding how broad or how focused to make it.
The Engineering for People Design Challenge is about
understanding the context and adopting a reasoned
approach to end up with an appropriate idea. Just as
in real life, there is no predetermined ‘right’ answer and
there are likely to be multiple possible solutions.
WASTE FOOD
THE COMPETITION
By participating in this programme you’ll also be
eligible to enter into a competition where we’ll be
looking for the teams who have best understood the
social, environmental and economic factors present
in Lobitos and Piedritas and can clearly demonstrate
the application of this understanding into their
TRANSPORT DIGITAL
engineering design.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 5
LOBITOS & PIEDRITAS
Lobitos and Piedritas are neighbouring communities on the northern coast of Peru and are the location of this
year’s Engineering for People Design Challenge.
Tourism is a growing economic opportunity for this arid region, due to the beneficial conditions for sports
such as surfing. However, doing this sustainably to protect the local natural habitat, and including the local
community in the economic benefit, is not without challenge. Since early this year, the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic has also had a significant impact on daily life.
Investigate the challenge areas highlighted in this document, find out how Lobitos and Piedritas are changing,
and as you look for ways engineering design can improve the ability of people to survive, thrive and flourish,
consider the long-term consequences of tourism and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. What could the
future look like?
To prepare and inspire you to invest your skills and talent to benefit all people and our planet, Engineers Without
Borders partnered with EcoSwell to create this design brief in early 2020. EcoSwell and other NGOs in Lobitos
and Piedritas have already started a number of initiatives and hold a close relationship with the community.
You can:
• Read and hear directly from people living in Lobitos and Piedritas in our Case Studies section and view
video interviews on the online portal at www.engineering-for-people.org.
• Read more about the local context in our Challenge Areas section and on EcoSwell’s website at
www.ecoswell.org/projects.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 6
Map data ©2020 ESRI
THE AREA
Lobitos and Piedritas are neighboring coastal The nearby solid waste dump of the city of Talara has
communities located in the Piura region of northern significantly increased the level of pollution in the
Peru, South America. Lobitos is a small fishing and community and the surrounding environment.
surfing town of 1,300 residents located 17 km from
the city of Talara, the tourist capital of Piura. Piedritas The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted
is a community of 400 residents located halfway many aspects of daily life in Lobitos and Piedritas. On
between the city of Talara and Lobitos. The residents 15 March 2020, Peruvian president Martín Vizcarra
of Piedritas are in the process of obtaining a land title declared a national state of emergency, closing Peru’s
to formally establish the community and gain reliable borders and banning Peruvians from leaving the
access to basic services such as electricity and water. house except to access essential goods or perform
Both Lobitos and Piedritas are located within an oil essential work. The national state of emergency was
concession area. extended until 31 July 2020, but eased some of the
quarantine measures by eliminating all-day curfew
The region is home to several key industries, including on Sundays and reducing the hours for mandatory
oil exploration and extraction, artisanal fishing, surf nightly curfew. Throughout Peru, parades, parties,
tourism, ecotourism, and transportation. With year- civic and religious activities, and all large gatherings
round swells and miles of coastline, Lobitos attracts remained suspended. Commercial businesses that
surfers and tourists from around the world. Piedritas opened must operate at a maximum of 50% capacity
is located in a large equatorial dry forest, which offers and ensure the necessary sanitation and preventative
many natural assets for ecotourism and forms part measures are in place. International borders
of a valuable ecosystem for wildlife and biodiversity. remained closed for passengers, with the exception
The recent growth of the tourism industry has caused of repatriation flights. In July, although Piura is no
some tensions and resentment among the local longer under mandatory quarantine, six regions of the
population in both Lobitos and Piedritas because the country remain under strict lockdown.
money generated from tourism largely benefits the
foreign business owners and not the lower-income Despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
neighbourhoods. pandemic, there is a desire for a sustainable and
equitable tourism industry that incorporates the
While Lobitos is known for its surf tourism, 30% of unique skills and talents of the local residents, whilst
the local population lives below the poverty line and ensuring all people can meet their basic needs,
14% live in extreme poverty. In Piedritas, between 70- preserving the local ecosystem, and diversifying the
80% of the residents are living in poverty or extreme tourism offerings.
poverty due to high levels of unemployment and a
lack of basic infrastructure and services.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 7
HISTORY
3000-1800 BCE British influence is evident in the town’s layout and
Peru was home to the Norte Chico civilization, the buildings, making Lobitos unlike other Spanish
oldest civilisation in the Americas and one of the six colonial towns. While the foreign oil companies
oldest in the world. built much needed infrastructure, Lobitos was
mainly an oil camp with a town and housing for the
1000-1476 CE oil workers. The fishing community grew during
The Tallán culture existed along the northern coast this time as there was more local demand. Lobitos
and in the Piura region. As a matriarchal society, the also became a major stopping place for large ships
women leaders were called “Capullanas.” travelling along the coast.
In a number of archeological sites in the Piura 1950S-1970S
region, researchers have unearthed “huacas” Piedritas was a town that mainly relied on the
(ancient buildings) and “conchales” (ancient raising of livestock, including goats, pigs, and
collections of seashells). Exploration of these sites chickens. The town was located in a valley with
indicates that the area has been inhabited for ravines and a large carob tree forest that provided
centuries and the past cultures lived off the sea and shade and natural grazing for the livestock.
land.
1962
1200-1535 Burmah-Castrol (later to become British Petroleum
The Inca Empire, the largest and most advanced or BP) bought the majority of shareholding of the
state in pre-Columbian America, flourished in Lobitos Oilfield Company. The petrol from Lobitos
ancient Peru. was refined and then sold in 229 service stations in
1526-1811 Ireland and North West England. The population at
Led by Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish colonised this time included thousands of expats working in
Peru. Under Spanish rule, much of the ancient the oil fields.
culture was lost. 1968
1811-1824 A military coup overthrew the democratically
Peru gained independence on 28 July 1821, elected administration of Fernando Belaúnde. The
during the War of Independence. Spain made futile military government saw the strategic importance
attempts to regain its former colonies and only in of Lobitos and built a military base swelling the local
1879 finally recognised Peruvian independence. population to more than 10,000 people. The new
military government, led by General Juan Velasco
1878-1884 Alvarado, took numerous steps to assert Peru’s
Territorial disputes occurred with neighbouring diplomatic and economic independence, including
countries, including the War of the Pacific and the nationalising the oil industry, expelling all foreign
Ecuadorian-Peruvian War (1941). The government operators, and establishing Petro-Peru.
started to initiate a number of social and economic
reforms to recover from the damage of the war. 1983
Political stability was achieved only in the early Heavy rains from a major El Niño event caused a
1900s. huge mudslide that destroyed much of the dry
forest in the valley where Piedritas was located.
EARLY 1900S In the aftermath of this devastating event, the
US and British entrepreneurs led the early remaining residents resettled just outside of the
exploration and exploitation of Peru’s oil fields, the valley, further towards the city of Talara.
majority of which were discovered in the remote
northern desert coast. An Englishman, Alexander 1990
Milne, discovered the last major oil field near Alberto Fujimori was elected president of Peru,
Lobitos and formed the Lobitos Oilfield Company during a tumultuous time of severe economic crisis
to mine the fields. where a large percentage of the population of Peru
was living in extreme poverty and there was a civil
1920S-1950S war with the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso
The International Petroleum Company (IPC), owned (Shining Path).
by Standard Oil, acquired 50% of the Lobitos
stock. The town of Lobitos and surrounding land
became an enclave for British and US citizens. The
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 8
1991 2001
To stabilise the economy, the “Inti” was replaced Alejandro Toledo was elected president and
with the nuevo sol (new sol) as the official currency ushered in a new era of political reform that
in Peru. involved decentralising the Peruvian government
and giving more power and resources to the
1992 municipalities. With these reforms, the Peruvian
Fujimori dissolved the Congress and the judiciary, government gave money collected from the
suspended parts of the constitution, and assumed oil and mining industries in each locality to the
dictatorial powers. He argued that the Congress, municipalities to invest in local development
controlled by opposition parties, was obstructing projects. The government, however, did not provide
his efforts to fight terrorism, poverty, and corruption. appropriate training in management, accountability,
The following year, a new constitution tilted the and transparency for public administrators,
balance of government power in Fujimori’s favour governors, and mayors. This lack of planning
to enable sweeping legislation and economic and oversight contributed to the prevalence of
reforms and facilitate Peru’s re-entry into the global corruption and misuse of public funds at the
economy. regional and local government level.
1995-1999 2004
Peru and Ecuador went to war over the border Sofía Mulanovich, a Peruvian, won the World
demarcation along the headwaters of the Cenepa Surfing Championship title in Hawaii, which
River. The Montevideo Declaration went into effect sparked a renewed national interest in the sport.
in May 1999. Part of the peace agreement included
reducing the military presence of both countries in 2008
the vicinity of the newly recognised border, which The Association of Surfing Pros hosted an
involved removing the Lobitos military base. The international surfing competition in Lobitos.
departure of the military had a dramatic impact
on the town by not only removing an economic 2008-2011
base, but also removing much of the military base ProInversión, Peru’s state agency for the promotion
infrastructure. of private investment, announced the sale of the
military base land for a large-scale US$119,000,000
1998 tourism project to position Lobitos as an important
A major El Niño event triggered mudslides that international surf and wind surfing destination.
brought a large amount of sand to the beach The project was to include the construction of
and altered the seafloor. These environmental 400 condominiums, an 18-hole golf course, and
changes created perfect waves for surfing, and in shopping centres. The private land auction was
the early 2000s, surfers discovered Lobitos and the supposed to take place in 2011 and be signed
opportunity for tourism grew. before the transition of presidential powers, but the
residents of Lobitos protested because they were
2000 not included in the planning process. Lacking local
Fujimori won a controversial election, but amid support, the tourism project failed to take off.
growing allegations of corruption, he announced
his resignation.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 9
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE
Peru’s Pacific coastline accounts for 11% of the area The northern coast of Peru has a wealth of mineral
of the country and stretches for 2,414 km (1,500 mi) and natural resources. Petroleum fields are located
along the western edge of the nation from Ecuador both inland and offshore along the remote northern
to Chile. The coastal area is characterised by narrow desert coast, and the oil industry has a long history
bands of arid to semi-arid desert, rocky coastline, of extracting oil from the region. Natural resources
beaches, and fertile valleys. Rivers that flow down include the equatorial dry forest, which provides a
from the Andes Mountains and into the Pacific Ocean habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, including
feed the fertile valleys. Two important ocean currents, the carob tree and the critically endangered Peruvian
the cold-water Humboldt Current and the warm-water Plantcutter bird. The dry forest begins north of Lima,
El Niño Current, connect along the coast of Peru to stretching along the coast and all the way to the
create an abundance of aquatic life and biodiversity. southern border of Ecuador. Much of what remains
of the dry forest has gone through desertification
Lobitos and Piedritas are located in Piura, where the and widespread deforestation and degradation. It
climate is a tropical dry climate and warm all year is estimated that only 10% of the original dry forest
round. Temperatures in Piura are at their hottest during remains. From 2003-2018, the area of tree-covered
Peru’s summer months, from December to March, areas in Piedritas increased by 182.13%, however, the
when by day, highs generally exceed 32°C (90°F). main body of growth occurred in the invasive species
During the winter months of June to September, Tamarix, not the native dry forest.
temperatures are slightly cooler. From June to
August, daytime temperatures average between 25°C The following resources will help to build on your
(77°F) and 27°C (81°F). Due to the arid conditions, knowledge of Geography and Climate:
precipitation is lower than 100 mm (4 in) per year,
except in the case of severe El Niño events, which can [1] Captured Planet Video - The 6th Extinction: Loss
provoke major flooding and annual precipitation that of the Dry Forest in Peru
can be as high as 4,000 mm (157.5 in). [2] Dry Forest Site Map
Peru’s coast also experiences occasional El Niño [3] Ecoregion - Southwestern Ecuador and
events. This phenomenon generally occurs every Northwestern Peru
15-20 years, but in recent years, has been occurring
more frequently due to climate change. Warm [4] Last call for the Peruvian Plantcutter
ocean currents mix with increased air pressure in an
abrupt reversal of atmospheric and sea conditions.
This oceanic upheaval produces heavy rains and
major climate shifts. In 2017, Peru’s northern coast
experienced a major El Niño event, which caused
intense rains, flooding, mudslides, and widespread
power outages.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 10An oil rig at sunset in Lobitos
LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The current mayor of Lobitos serves as part of the Piedritas is not incorporated into a municipality,
governing body for the Lobitos District Municipality. but receives some support from the city of
Within the district of Lobitos, there is a small Talara. Although Piedritas does not have a formal
parliament called the council. All but one of the government structure in place, it has a small
council members are affiliated with the Somos community council composed of five people who are
Perú (We Are Peru) political party. The number of well respected in the community and very committed
representatives on the council reflects the number to their roles. The council oversees and coordinates
of votes the party achieved in the last election. The many of the community’s activities and development
municipality receives funding from the Peruvian projects. The residents of Piedritas respect the council
government to oversee public projects in areas such and follow its guidelines.
as sanitation and wastewater management.
POPULATION
According to The World Factbook, the total 1997-1998, a major El Niño event created the perfect
population of Peru is estimated at 32,914,989 people. conditions for surfing, which resulted in an influx
At the regional level, Piura has a total population of of surfers and tourists from 1998 to the late 2000s.
1,856,809 people (National Institute of Statistics & In recent years, many of the people who moved to
Informatics (INEI) - Peru). Lobitos for surfing and business opportunities have
left because the town is no longer as peaceful as it
TOTAL POPULATION OF LOBITOS: 1,300 once was. The change of population is reflected in the
The population of Lobitos has varied considerably census data with a change from 1,456 people in 2010
over time. One of the population swells was from to 1,340 in 2017. The population also experienced
the early 1900s to 1968 where the population rose further decline due to youth leaving the town in
by thousands of expats due to the rise of the oil search of education and job opportunities.
industry before nationalisation in 1968 (where expats
were forced to abandon the town). Another swell TOTAL POPULATION OF PIEDRITAS: 400
of population occurred with an enhanced military From 2013-2015, there was a steady flow of migration
presence (up to 10,000 people) from 1968, to when to Piedritas, with a relatively consistent population
most military personnel were evacuated in the 1990s prior to this. Each year, the population grew by
(due to peace agreement with Ecuador). Some of approximately 10-15 families or 75-90 people. In the
the infrastructure was therefore abandoned due to past three years, the rate of migration has slowed, with
changing population or change in ownership. From only a few new families joining the community.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 11DEMOGRAPHICS
Peru’s 2017 National Censuses of Population AGE
and Housing provide demographic data on In general, the population in Lobitos is young
Lobitos, but not Piedritas. The demographic data (see Figure 1), however, in recent years, there
on Piedritas comes from a local survey in which has been a decline in the number of young
40 households responded. Despite the small people from ages 10-19 years and 20-29 years.
sample size, the survey data provides an important In Piedritas, the majority of the population
reference point for Piedritas. In this section, only surveyed was over 30 years old.
gender and age demographic data is listed for
Piedritas.
258
GENDER 228
236
213
In Lobitos and Piedritas, the men are mostly
179
dedicated to working and providing an income
for the household, while the women care for the
children and manage the domestic responsibilities. 112
These gender norms, however, are not the same 87
for every woman in the two localities. In Lobitos, 49
a larger percentage of women work in municipal 19
jobs, cleaning or cooking or running their own 2
home shop or business. In Piedritas, the women
actively participate in community activities,
particularly the community greening projects Figure 1: Age of population in Lobitos
and environmental education workshops. The
women typically bring their children with them to LANGUAGE
the workshops. Women also attend meetings and In Lobitos and Piedritas, the majority of the
activities at the Santa Elena primary school. population speaks Spanish. In Lobitos, a
small percentage of the population speaks
EMPLOYMENT Portuguese due to Brazilian tourists who opened
In Lobitos, the majority of the population is of businesses during the tourism boom. In addition,
working age (72.1%), which is more than 15 years a small segment of the population speaks
of age. Almost half of the population works for Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire and
payment or goods. the most spoken indigenous language in the
Below, are rough estimates of the percentage Americas.
of the working population employed in various
industries and commercial activities: RELIGION
• 50% artisanal fishing industry In Lobitos, the majority of the population is
• 20% small shops/businesses/restaurants Catholic (see Figure 2). Others identify as
• 10% hotel industry Evangelical and Christian. There is a segment
• 5% municipality workers of the population that does not profess any
• 5% farming / raising livestock religion.
• 5% trade jobs (carpenter, plumber,
construction worker, etc)
• 5% private security guard for a company or
other operational job
Slightly more than half of the population does not
work for money or goods, which includes many
women who work in the home. Catholic
72.5%
Figure 2: Religion in Lobitos
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 12RACE & ETHNICITY Mestizo (71.28%)
In Lobitos, the majority of the population
identifies as mestizo. The term mestizo Black or Afroperuvian (11.88%)
means mixed in Spanish, and is generally
used throughout Latin America to describe White (11.19%)
people of mixed ancestry with a white
European and an indigenous background. Quechua (3.32%)
12% of the population identifies as Black or
Afroperuvian. Afroperuvians are citizens of Other (1.18%)
Peru with African heritage who were enslaved
and brought to Peru during colonial times. Do not know/ Do not wish to
The Afroperuvian population currently suffers respond (1.15%)
from marginalisation and racial discrimination,
which negatively impacts their social mobility Figure 3: Race & Ethnicity in Lobitos
and access to basic services. Three percent of
the population is Quechua, indigenous people
originally from the Andean region of Peru.
Indigenous groups and those of indigenous
descent also face marginalisation and racial EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
discrimination in Peruvian society. The level of educational attainment varies in
Figure 4: Education in Lobitos Lobitos (see Figure 4), with a larger portion of
the population having completed either primary
413
school or secondary school.
398
PREVALENCE OF DISABILITY
7.32% of the people in Lobitos live with some
form of disability. In Lobitos, 3.73% of the
population experiences partial blindness or loss
109 100
of vision. 1.67% of the population experiences
88
65 66 difficulty walking or limited mobility.
41
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Fishers off the coast of Lobitos
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 13LOBITOS MAP
Municipal Area N
Military Area
Neighbourhoods
Zarumilla
Lobitos surf spot
Barrio
Primavera
Centro
EcoSwell
Hotel Area
Near Beach
Nuevo
Lobitos Bellavista
Villa del Pescador Map data ©2020 Google
• Lobitos is composed of six main neighbourhoods, • In Barrio Centro, the military rents out the houses
which are under the jurisdiction of different to existing families of Lobitos and newer residents.
entities, including the Fisherman’s Guild, Bellavista is a small neighbourhood located on a
military, and Lobitos District Municipality. These hill behind Barrio Centro.
neighbourhoods vary in size, demographics, and • A dry gully or ravine separates Nuevo
socioeconomic status. Lobitos, which is under the jurisdiction of the
• The fishing community mainly resides in Lobitos District Municipality, from the military
Primavera, with a population of approximately 800 zone. Approximately 500 people live in this
people. Most of the families in this neighbourhood neighbourhood. Many fishing families live in the
have lived in Lobitos for generations and work poorer areas of Nuevo Lobitos. The coastal area of
in the artisanal fishing industry. Primavera is an Nuevo Lobitos is a popular tourist destination that
underserved neighbourhood where some of the caters to surfers and foreigners.
poorest people of Lobitos live.
• The Zarumilla, Castilla,
Barrio Centro, and Bellavista
neighbourhoods are located
within the military zone. All of
the land in this area is under
the control of the military,
which rents out old houses
and buildings to residents.
Approximately 150 people
live in Zarumilla. In 2016,
there were 5-10 families
living in Castilla, but due to
the growing demand to live
in this area, that number has
doubled.
Map data ©2020 Google
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 14PIEDRITAS MAP
Section 1 N
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Map data ©2020 Google
• The housing in Piedritas is organised into • The more vulnerable and impoverished families
five sections, according to which houses are live on the other side of the road (east of Map data ©2020
connected to the electrical grid. Panamericana Norte) in basic housing with no
• The houses in sections one and two are located water or electricity. Approximately half of these
right next to the Santa Elena primary school and families dedicate their lives to the logging of
the road that passes through Piedritas (west carob trees and the production of charcoal. The
of Panamericana Norte). The longer-standing other families in this area raise and sell livestock,
families who live in this area have achieved a including goats, horses, chickens and pigs.
higher socioeconomic status, and some own
small businesses located near the community’s
ecotourism route.
Map data ©2020 Google
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 15INDUSTRIES &
EMPLOYMENT
The residents of Piedritas engage in a variety of
commercial activities, while roughly half of the
population in Lobitos works in the fishing industry.
Some residents engage in small-scale subsistence
agriculture and raise goats, pigs, or chickens and sell
the meat and dairy products. The people of Lobitos
and Piedritas are heavily reliant on the nearest city,
Talara, for buying food and goods and accessing Surf school in Lobitos
essential services such as banks and hospitals as they
are not available locally. TOURISM & ECO-TOURISM
Surf tourism plays a critical role in Lobitos’ economy,
Artisanal and commercial fishing are practiced bringing an estimated 8,400 people to Lobitos each
along the coast. The Talara Provincial Municipality year and contributing a total of US $3,555,612 to the
and Lobitos District Municipality provide some local economy. EcoSwell led a multi-stakeholder
employment opportunities, including street cleaning, National Wave Break Protection Campaign in Lobitos,
garbage collection, security, trades, and when which now protects by law five of the local world class
available, local construction projects. Previous wave breaks (Piscina, Muelles, Lobitos, El Hueco,
administrations used to hire over 50% of the Baterías) against any potential development threats.
population on a rotating basis throughout the year,
however, the current mayor of Lobitos stopped this Because of the changing surfing conditions in
practice because it was financially unsustainable Lobitos, the tourism industry is keen to diversify
and fostered corruption and misuse of public funds. its offerings to include fishing, diving, kite surfing,
Opportunities for advancing individual or household kayaking, and mountain biking to attract new visitors.
economic prospects through municipal employment The municipality of Talara is interested in Piedritas’
are limited. growing ecotourism industry, which could help boost
overall tourism in the area.
Although the oil industry is one of the largest
industries in Lobitos, the only residents employed Deforestation and environmental degradation are
work predominantly as security guards. Over the two of the main challenges Piedritas faces in its
last decade, oil prices have declined severely, which efforts to build a sustainable ecotourism industry. In
has reduced the amount of oil royalties the central the early 1990s, newly built highways offered easier
government can provide to the Lobitos District access to Talara, prompting an influx of domestic
Municipality. and international imports into the area. Residents
struggled to sell their produce in the local markets
The oil companies built several oil platforms on top due to the competitive prices of imported goods.
of reefs that provide an important habitat for marine Unable to sell their produce, many of the residents
life. These platforms have disrupted the local fishing turned to logging the carob tree and selling charcoal
industry because the oil companies prohibit fishing to generate an income, which caused significant
near the platforms. Oil spills happen frequently and damage to the dry forest. To address these issues,
often go unnoticed due to a lack of government EcoSwell has implemented, with support from energy
patrols and regulation. company Enel, the “Green Piedritas” Environmental
Education and Community Ecotourism Project,
LA COSTANERA educating the community on the harmful impacts of
The central government is planning to build a new producing charcoal and implementing initiatives to
highway called La Costanera, which will run along preserve the local ecosystem.
the entire coast of Peru, parallel to the Pan-American
Highway. By providing a direct and accessible route Recently, the community started to receive its first
along the coast, La Costanera could significantly groups of tourists and visitors. Integrating ecotourism
increase the influx of tourists to Lobitos. into the beach and sun tourism of Talara would
diversify the tourist experience and help Piedritas
capture the flow of tourists traveling through the
community to reach the coast.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 16OVERVIEW: THE CHALLENGE AREAS Before introducing the challenge areas, it is important to note that the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a useful framing for tackling this design challenge. 2020 marks 10 years until the rapidly approaching deadline for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals, launched in 2015, laid out 17 areas to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. A number of UN Sustainable Development Goals are linked here to provide a first step for wider reading. Read through the goals to explore to understand both the local and global perspective, whilst reading about Lobitos and Piedritas. Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 17
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
The built environment includes all human-made physical spaces where we live, take leisure and work. These
include housing, public spaces, healthcare facilities, schools, markets and shops that people need for a healthy
and thriving society. When properly designed, an inclusive built environment can help solve a number of other
issues such as the provision of clean water, adequate sanitation, access to education, reliable energy and the
disposal of waste.
What ideas can you come up with to improve the existing homes, buildings and public spaces to meet future
needs? Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of tourism in
the area to ensure the development of inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the whole community.
FOOD
Food security occurs when all people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their
requirements for an active and healthy life in ways the planet can sustain into the future. A changing climate,
growing global population, rising food prices, and environmental stressors create a number of challenges for
the production and consumption of food. These global changes can be particularly challenging for coastal
communities which often source food from the land and sea. Undernutrition, overweight and obesity are
different forms of malnutrition, and it is common to have people with these differing forms living side-by-side
in one country, in one community, or even in the same household. Small-scale sustainable food producers,
resilient and regenerative agricultural practices, maintaining gender diversity and providing timely access to up-
to-date information are all key to achieving reliable food systems.
What ideas can you come up with to improve food systems and nutrition and promote sustainable practices
to meet current and future needs? Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the
imminent growth of tourism, and thus greater demand for locally available food, to ensure the development
of inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the local community. How might these opportunities be realised,
whilst including safety protocols needed to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
ENERGY
Reliable access to energy, in particular electricity, often reduces the time people spend on everyday tasks. This
means that they can engage in other activities such as education, employment and entertainment, thereby
improving the quality of life. Although energy is an essential requirement for human development and the
eradication of poverty, most of our energy comes from finite fossil fuels. In the 21st Century, there is a significant
global challenge to balance out energy demands against the associated environmental impacts.
What ideas can you come up with to improve access to safe, low-cost energy to meet current and future needs?
Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of tourism, and thus
greater demand for reliable energy, to ensure the development of inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the
whole community.
WASTE
Human activity produces waste. It is vital to address and properly manage waste to prevent environmental
damage, health risks and the development of unsightly and undesirable areas. Reducing, reusing and recycling
waste are key priorities for sustainable human development. Waste is an evolving issue, with the majority of
waste ending up in the landfill.
What ideas can you come up with to improve the situation to meet current and future needs, whilst restoring the
local environment? Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of
tourism, and thus greater demand for clean spaces, to ensure the development of inclusive solutions that meet
the needs of the whole community.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 18WATER
Water is an essential resource, and to lead healthy lives, people need a reliable supply of clean drinking water.
Water is also used in industrial processes we depend on for food, energy and the production of many of the
products we use daily. Water is vital for human development.
What ideas can you come up with to improve the resilience and availability of the water supply to meet current
and future needs? Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of
tourism in the area, and thus greater demand on the available water resources, to ensure the development of
inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the whole community.
SANITATION
Sanitation is critical for maintaining public health. Sanitation involves the safe management, treatment and
eventual safe end use or disposal of water that is contaminated and presents potential health problems. This
includes sewage, water run-off from buildings, and water that has been used for purposes such as washing and
cleaning in both domestic and industrial purposes. With treatment, contaminated water can be returned to the
water cycle with minimal environmental issues.
What ideas can you come up with to improve access to sanitation and to decrease pollution to meet current
and future needs? Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of
tourism, and thus greater demand for decent sanitation, to ensure the development of inclusive solutions that
meet the needs of the whole community.
TRANSPORT
Mobility and access to transport infrastructure allow people and goods to move around freely. Mobility plays a
key role in making societies more inclusive through enabling access to key services and educational, economic
and social opportunities. Transport infrastructure comes in many forms such as pedestrianised areas, cycling
facilities, boats, public transport, shared-ownership transport, rented and hired transport and private transport.
What ideas can you come up with to improve transportation on land or at sea to meet current and future needs?
Whilst generating ideas for this area, it will be important to consider the imminent growth of tourism and the
planned La Costanera highway to ensure the development of inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the
whole community.
DIGITAL
The world is becoming increasingly connected. Whilst many people benefit hugely from modern advances
in information communications, some of us have not had the same opportunities. Enabling access to
technologies from which information flows, knowledge is gained and people communicate is recognised
globally as an important factor in reducing the inequality gap. Information communication technologies (ICT)
facilitate educational, social and economic opportunities for people. ICT comes in many forms, such as radios,
televisions, computers, internet networks, mobiles and mobile platforms, data loggers and sensors, small data
and big data. Due to recent social distancing measures, the ability to buy/sell, work, connect and perform many
other tasks has been limited to those that have available digital systems.
What ideas can you come up with to use digital technology to meet current and future needs? How can you
leverage digital systems to facilitate daily life where social distancing is a necessity to protect against the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 19BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
In Lobitos and Piedritas, plans to expand community facilities and enhance
conservation efforts of the dry forest are renewing the built environment.
What ideas can you come up with to improve the existing homes, buildings and
public spaces to meet the future needs of the whole community, whilst restoring
the local environment? It will also be important to consider the imminent growth of
tourism in the area to ensure the development of
inclusive solutions that meet the needs of the
whole community.
OVERVIEW
The built environment of Lobitos and Piedritas shapes Both communities are located within a largely
residents’ and visitors’ experience of the place. As desertified dry forest. The conservation requirements
with any setting, the built environment influences to preserve the dry forest are impacted by the built
aspirations, sense of self-worth, safety and security. environment. The increase in precipitation brought by
Both towns have evolved over time to feature both El Niño brings opportunities for vegetation restoration
public buildings and residential homes. in Piedritas.
The built environment in Lobitos has gone through There are local examples of the impacts of poorly
significant periods of change over time. Lobitos has managed tourism, which is of concern to the people
about 58 hotels and hostels, a few restaurants, and of Lobitos and Piedritas. The nearby tourist hotspot of
other tourist-related businesses, including surfboard Mancora is known for the environmental and social
shops and yoga studios. damage caused by the tourism industry. Unmanaged
waste and sanitation presents health risks,
In Lobitos, the oldest homes are around 100 years environmental pollution and affects the location’s
old, while others were built during the 1970s. Living aesthetics. Buildings that have been located too close
conditions range within the key areas of Lobitos. In to the shore affect the movement of the sand and
general, many buildings are poorly adapted to the have significantly changed the quality of the waves.
desert environment. New developments in Nuevo Many of the people financially benefiting from tourism
Lobitos and Primavera have no sewer connection or in Mancora are not from Mancora, and the local
septic tank and are not connected to the grid. People people have seen their quality of life go down rather
use friends’ toilets or defecate outside. Approximately than up, resulting in increases in civil unrest, crime and
5% of the people in Primavera do not have toilets. inequality.
Across all the non-military areas there are fenced off
plots of land ‘owned’ (no formal land titles) mainly by There are, however, other local examples where
people that have migrated to Lobitos, but also some the communities have dealt with the issues in a
local residents. more effective manner. For example, Los Órganos
is considered to have better managed the waste
In Piedritas, there are two main tourist businesses that and sanitation issues and preserved the natural
receive visitors from Talara. Piedritas is traditionally environment rather than destroy it.
an animal farming/logging community and has only
recently opened to tourism.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 20Municipal Area
Military Area
Neighbourhoods
Castilla
Zarumilla
Lobitos surf spot
Barrio
Primavera
Centro
Primavera
EcoSwell
Hotel Area
Near Beach
Nuevo
Lobitos Bellavista
Villa del Pescador Map data ©2020 Google
MAP
Military Zone (Zarumilla, Castilla, Barrio Centro and In Barrio Centro, the houses are mostly made of wood
Bellavista): and were built by the British during the booming oil
years. In Bellavista, there are also wooden houses built
There are a few hostels in the military zone, but no by the British, some of which are close to 100 years
new houses or hotels are being built in this area. old.
The area mostly includes restored old wooden In Primavera, the fishing community has a land title for
houses previously used by those who worked in the their whole neighbourhood.
oil companies and some newer (1970s) brick houses.
Most have yard space and are detached. Some parts The houses and buildings are mostly made of
of this area are still collapsed and there are still many concrete, but some are made of plywood and
empty buildings and houses that have yet to be corrugated iron or tin roofs.
restored.
In recent years, the neighbourhood has been growing
The military zone also has more trees and vegetation because the Fisherman’s Guild has been giving
than the surrounding areas. out small plots of land to the family members of the
fishers.
Zarumilla has many concrete houses built during the
military regime to house military personnel, which are Most homes have limited yard space and are in close
now rented out to newer residents of Lobitos. proximity, often sharing walls with neighbours.
In Castilla, many of the concrete houses were in Recently, the neighbourhood of Nuevo Lobitos has
complete disrepair with cracked and crumbling walls experienced population growth because the previous
and no roofs or windows. Because of the growing mayor created a new residential area with 60-80 plots
demand to live in this area, the military started to rent of land.
out houses at very low contract prices to people from
Talara and other areas. These new residents have Most of the houses built on these plots are simple
restored many of the collapsed houses and moved in. structures made of brick or plywood.
Nuevo Lobitos also includes a strip of hotels, shops,
and restaurants along the beach, which is a popular
tourist destination that caters to surfers and tourists.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 21CURRENT SITUATION
In Lobitos, there have been several new government EXISTING COMMUNITY FACILITIES:
infrastructure initiatives, some of which have had • There is limited public infrastructure, and the hot
varying success due in part to a poor sense of local climate makes it difficult for people to make use of
ownership. These projects included a market in Nuevo any unshaded public space.
Lobitos (which closed in 2019 due to poor location • As fútbol (football or soccer) is the major sport
choice and lack of local demand), a preschool (which in Peru, the school in Piedritas has a concrete
resulted in a major conflict with an oil company) and pitch for the children to play. There are two fútboll
high-tech security huts interconnected with cameras pitches in Lobitos (in Primavera and Nuevo
and Wifi throughout Lobitos (which resulted in conflict Lobitos), and there also is a cement pitch in the
between surfers and the military). middle of the town with lighting available.
• In Piedritas:
Since 2015, tourism in Lobitos has been declining. » The Santa Elena primary school is the main
The rapid development of housing and hotels along community facility and the others include an
the coast has disrupted the natural flow patterns of information centre, hiking and bird watching
the sand and wind, which has negatively impacted trails and two restaurants (Sol y Campo and Villa
the quality of the waves. Many advanced surfers Jordan) for tourists.
have left Lobitos in search of less crowded beaches. » Piedritas only has public lighting along the main
One option the town is currently considering is trying road and school.
to attract more beginner and intermediate surfers » The school (built by the energy company, Enel)
because the current waves are better suited for those is made with Caña de Guayaquil (bamboo-like
who are learning how to surf. material), bricks and iron/steel beams. Some
Piedritas has an ambitious long-term plan entitled the of the classrooms are made of large shipping
‘Piedritas Verde Project’ (Green Piedritas) focused containers [2].
on environmental sustainability and ecotourism to: • In Lobitos:
» There are three main churches and several
• Acquire a land title and gain reliable access to communal facilities where residents can gather,
basic services such as water and electricity including parks, plazas, hotels, restaurants, the
• Expand the local facilities to include a chapel and pier, and the Fisherman’s Guild Community Hall.
marketplace » The pier is where the fishers keep their
• Build hiking trails leading to the wetlands and equipment. The building used to have a
archaeological sites, a canopy tower, and functioning toilet and shower block, but it has
birdwatching sites fallen into disrepair and is no longer accessible.
• Be recognised in bio-commerce, ecotourism and » There is a public medical centre in Lobitos,
fair trade located in the Primavera neighbourhood. The
• Enable further academic research about the dry public centre has three nurses and no doctors.
forest The nurses can perform simple procedures and
• Restore the carob tree forest ecosystem have access to basic medications, including
vaccinations. The nearest large hospital is a 1.5
HOUSING: to 2 hour drive via the Pan-American highway to
• There are 102 homes in Lobitos [1]. Piedritas is the city of Piura.
made up of 60-70 homes, with only around 2-5% » There is street lighting in most of Lobitos, more
of them constructed from brick. Most of the homes so in Nuevo Lobitos than in the military zone, but
are single story structures made of plywood and not all of the street lights work.
corrugated iron, with the majority of them built » The public spaces in Lobitos, such as the town
using local labour. square, sports courts and small park areas, are
• A typical household will include between five to made of concrete, with little available human-
six family members, and it is common for newly made or natural shade. These spaces are mostly
married couples to leave the family home and unusable during the day because of the heat.
seek new housing.
• Lobitos and Piedritas are considered to be open [1] Lobitos Map of homes by area
and safe towns, although in recent years, there
has been a noticeable increase in petty theft. [2] Video of Santa Elena primary school
• Houses have been broken into with TVs,
motorcycles, and laptops stolen. The residents
have started to put up more fences, where before
the spaces were very accessible.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 22RELEVANT CASE STUDIES
Take a look at the following case studies for more information and ideas:
IN LOBITOS:
• Darío is a transport worker who discusses the need for well-equipped bus stops and enhanced public
spaces.
• Gino, owner of the Lobitos Surf School, discusses his aspirations to expand his business with new facilities
for visitors and residents.
• Jacky, former Lobitos District Municipality Employee, describes the need for collaboration between
stakeholders to upgrade the community's educational facilities.
• Leah, Executive Director of High Tides International, discusses the organisation’s after-school educational
activities and the facilities that need upgrading to support educational opportunities for children in Lobitos.
• Nicolás, co-founder of Coast2Coast and Lobitos Cinema Project, highlights the need for physical spaces to
enhance community development initiatives.
IN PIEDRITAS:
• Justo, Master Builder and Member of the Piedritas Tourism Committee, and Teófilo, President of the
Piedritas Community Council, highlight the need to build multi-use community facilities in Piedritas.
• Manuel, Director of the Santa Elena de Piedritas School, describes the growth and development of the
school.
• Marlyne, Secretary and Treasurer of the Piedritas Tourism Committee, shares her insights on reforestation
efforts in Piedritas.
SUGGESTED STARTING POINTS
To get you started, we’ve outlined some initial starting points. These are only suggestions, and you can come
up with your own if you have identified another issue from the design brief or your own research.
Creating new and retrofitting existing public spaces inside the dry forest that provide opportunities for
economic activity, shade from the sun and services such as waste collection points would greatly improve the
prosperity of Lobitos and Piedritas. Can you come up with innovative ways of developing mixed-use public
spaces?
The growth of the tourism industry has caused some tensions between the local population and foreign
business owners. Can you think of creative ways to build public spaces where the local residents, foreign
business owners and tourists can interact, either commercially or socially, to build more cohesion and sense of
community and include the local residents in the long-term plans for tourism?
Increased tourism has brought development to Lobitos. Piedritas’ community council designated a large area
of public land across the road from the Santa Elena primary school for community facilities. In addition, the
community wants to build a small chapel and a marketplace to sell local artisanal and organic products to
visitors. Can you suggest ideas to help Piedritas expand its existing infrastructure?
The Green Piedritas Project also has an ambitious long-term plan focused on environmental sustainability and
ecotourism. Can you propose ways to help achieve this plan?
REMEMBER:
Consider the overall context of the social, environmental and economic factors in Lobitos and Piedritas.
This is part of our marking criteria and is key to the success of any engineering intervention you come up
with. We recommend you read all the other Challenge Area pages and our guidance pages on getting
started. You will need to conduct your own research beyond the information available here to show your
depth of understanding. Additional information can be found in the pages about Lobitos and Piedritas
and online at www.engineering-for-people.org.
Engineering for People Design Challenge: Design Brief 2020/21 Page 23You can also read
